Brad Stevens credited Kemba Walker's leadership for the Boston Celtics' 118-112 win over the Indiana Pacers to snap a three-game losing streak.

Walker finished the game with 32 points and 6 assists.

"I don't think we win the game without his will. I think that no matter how everyone is playing, when that thing was 18-4, he was the loudest voice. He willed us back into that thing. And now, we're back on our footing, [and] we have a little bit of confidence, which has been shot this week," said Stevens afterwards.

Walker had come into the game shooting 37.5% from the field, the second-lowest of his career.

Walker added that it's up to the team's veterans to sort of their recent struggles.

"We'll figure it out. That's on me. That's on Jaylen. That's on Jayson. That's on Marcus [Smart]. And then Tristan [Thompson] and Jeff are gonna add on to that, as well. That's on the veteran guys, as well as Brad, too. We've got to keep it together. We can't let nobody go in any other direction. Even though things might not be going as well as we would like it at the moment, but things could change really fast, so the only way you can get out of struggles is by doing it together."

Danny Ainge continues to back his star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown despite the team's continued struggles.

"I wish I had answers for you. I don't," Ainge said on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday. "I do believe in my players. I like them all individually. I think they have good futures. I just think right now our team is in a major funk."

The Celtics have lost eight of 11 games overall.

"Here's what the biggest thing about Jaylen and Jayson is," Ainge said. "They've been shielded before because they've had other really good players, veterans around them as they developed -- and went to three out of four Eastern Conference [finals].

"Now it's on them. Now they're the stars. And they've got the big contracts. And they got the All-Star nods. So the microscope is on them."

Ainge is saying that the issues with the Celtics are on him more than his young stars or coach Brad Stevens.

"This is a me problem," Ainge said. "I'm saying that I love my two young guys, they're not perfect, and they're learning, and this adversity is part of their growth and development -- not intentionally, it's just the nature of the beast."

The Boston Celtics are 15-17 and currently are tied with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat for the final two seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but Wyc Grousbeck has gone on record to say the jobs of Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens are not in jeopardy. 

“I talk to Danny and Brad all the time, I feel very connected to those guys,” Grousbeck said.

Grousbeck touted the development of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as things

"I'm the one who has to make the decision. I'm the one who has to live with the change. Either one of those guys would immediately be the top candidate for the job. It doesn't matter just about who else it out there. They're our guys and we're sticking with them. It was not even a question in my mind."

Marcus Smart is unlikely to return before the All-Star break, reported Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Smart was diagnosed with a grade 1 calf strain. 

This season's All-Star Game will take place on March 7th. 

Danny Ainge conceded that the the Boston Celtics don't have a roster capable of winning a title this season.

"I do not," said Ainge when posted the question on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“Our roster obviously is not good. I mean, we are a 14-14 team. There’s no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. That’s who we are,” said Ainge. “This team, where we are, 14-14, if there’s somebody to blame, this is Danny Ainge to blame. This is not Brad Stevens. It’s not Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. It’s like not good enough right now. And we all know that. And, you know, we need to get better.”

Ainge was asked what can be done to turn things around.

“I think that the easy answer is obviously we haven’t played [as] well as we expected,” Ainge said. “But – and this is not a spin and this is not an excuse – I’m just saying that our starting team – that we envision as a starting team – has played 20 minutes all year. We just haven’t gotten any sort of consistent flow or groove. We’ve had great moments, good games, good wins, and just a lot of stinkers.”

Jayson Tatum discussed the aftereffects of COVID-19, saying that he gets tired quicker than usual.

"I think it messes with your breathing a little bit. I have experienced some games where, I don't want to say [I was] struggling to breathe, but, you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal.

"Just running up and down the court a few times, it's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster. I've noticed that since I've had COVID. It's just something I'm working on," said Tatum on Tuesday.

Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 in early January, and returned to the team on January 25th.

Tatum is averaging 24.5 points on 42.7% from the field in the 11 games since his return.

He added that he's discussed his breathing issues with Brad Stevens.

"It's something that we've talked about. And it's not like every game where I feel it the whole game. It's just certain stretches where breathing is a little out of whack, and I talk to the medical staff and coaching staff about it. It's gotten better, obviously, from the first game I came back and played."

Kemba Walker said that the Boston Celtics need to "play harder" following their 104-91 loss to the Washington Wizards, the team's worse loss of the season.

"[We] just need to play harder. That's it. We're not playing hard. We're not playing as hard as we know we can," said Walker after the game.

Walker and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points, while the rest of the team shot 12-for-51 from the field. 

The Celtics are now 13-13 on the season.

Brad Stevens said that his team needs to go back to emphasizing the basics.

"I know we've talked a lot about lineups and consistency and who plays and who doesn't play. Guys that really move the ball or guys that really run the spots and really execute hard have probably got to be the priority, playing-wise, for now around our very best players. And I think that that's where we're gonna have to get to, because that's clearly an issue."

Harrison Barnes is on the radar of the Boston Celtics, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Celtics have a $28.5 million trade exception they created in the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets.

Barnes has a team-friendly deal that declines year-over-year ($22.2 million this season, $20.2 million next season and $18.3 million in 2022-23).

The Kings have given teams the impression they have no interest in trading Barnes before the deadline. 

Danny Ainge revealed Jaylen Brown has tendonitis in his left knee.

"We're concerned. Jaylen has tendonitis in his [left] knee," Ainge said. "We're concerned about it. We're doing everything we can. Giving him the two days rest isn't going to cure it, it's just going to lighten the load."

Brown's minutes dipped in early February before missing two games.

Ainge downplayed the significance of the diagnosis later in the interview.

"I don't know how serious it is, but I have been given no reason to be concerned about anything long term...I don't think there's any long term concerns at all."

"It's a very common thing among NBA players, tendinitis in that patella tendon," Ainge added. "We'll just keep keep tabs on it the best we can and try to get the best version of Jaylen that we can have."

Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Jared Weiss of The Athletic (@JaredWeissNBA) break down the Celtics and the Eastern Conference.

They discuss Jaylen Brown’s early success, Jayson Tatum’s season so far, Kemba Walker’s health, the center rotation, the top of the Eastern Conference and much more.

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